them by their enemies as a term of reproach, like " Puritans" formerly, and "saints" very often in the present day. — Kitto, s. v. See Saint; Chasidim.
As'sir (Heb. Assir' , ""PSX, prisoner), the name of two or three men.
1. (Sept. 'AiTfi'o v. r. 'Affi)p.) A son of Korah (of the Kohathite Levites), father (brother) of Elkanah, and grandfather (brother) of Abiasaph (q. v.) or Ebia- saph (Exod. vi, 24; 1 Chron. vi, 22). B.C. cir. 1740.
2. (Sept. 'Aerdp v. r. '[vuadp or 'loaap and A<r»'/p.) A great-grandson of the preceding, and father of Ta- hath (1 Chron. vi, 23, 37). B.C. cir. 1620. See Sam- uel. There is some suspicion, however, that the name here has crept in by repetition from the preceding (see Jour, of Sac. Lit. Apr. 1852, p. 200 ; comp. Bertheau, Comment, in loc).
3. "Assir" ("15X, Sept. 'Aai'tp v. r. 'A<ri'p) occurs (1 Chron. iii, 17) as the name of a son of Jeconiah the king, but it is more likely an appellative, referring to the captivity of that prince at Babylon (see Strong's Harmony and Exposition of the Gospels, note I, at the close of § 9). See Jehoiachin.
Assisi, Francis of. See Francis d'Assisi.
Associate Presbyterian Church. See Pres- byterian (Associate) Church.
Associated Baptists, a name often given to the main body of Baptists in the United States, who are associated by their pastors in District Associations. See Baptists.
As'sos or Asstts ("Ao-o-oc, also "Aaaov, and Apol- lunia, Plin. v, 32), a town and sea-port of the Soman province of Asia, in the district anciently called Mysia. It was situated on the northern shore of the Gulf of Adramyttium (Ptol. v, 2 ; Plin. ii, 98 ; Strabo, xiii, 581, 614; Athen. ix, 375; Pausan. vi, 45). It was only about seven miles from the opposite coast of Lesbos (or Mitylene), near Methyn.n.i (Strab. xiii, p. G18). A good Soman road, connecting the towns of the central parts of the province with Alexandria Tro- as (q. v.), passed through Assos, the distance between the two latter places being about 20 miles (Jtin. An- ton.). These geographical points illustrate the Apos- tle Paul's rapid passage through the town, as he came hither on foot from Troas to meet with his friends, in order to take shipping for Mitylene (Acts xx, 13, 14). The ship in which he was to accomplish his voyage from Troas to Csesarea went round Cape Lectum, while he took the much shorter journey by land. Thus he was able to join the ship without difficulty, and in sufficient time for her to anchor off Mitj'lene at the close of the day on which Troas had been left (see Conybeare and Howson, ii, 209). It was noted for its wheat (Strabo, p. 735) and for a peculiar stone (lapis Assius) that was used for sarcophagi, on account of its flesh-consuming properties (Plin. ii, 9G). It was founded (according to different authors) by a colony from Lesbos, by Gargara, the ^Eolian, and by the Me- thymnaM, and was the birthplace of Cleanthes the stoic. Strabo (p. G10) describes it as well fortified both, by nature and art. The chief characteristic of Assos was that it was singularly Greek. Fellows found there "no trace of the Somans." It is now a miser- able village (the neighborhood of which still bears the name Asso), built high upon the rocks on the side to- ward the land (Sichter, p. 4G5 sq.). The remains are numerous and remarkably well preserved, partly be- cause many of the buildings were of granite. The citadel, above the the- atre, commands a glo- rious view, and must itself have been a no- ble object from the sea. The Street of Tombs, leading to the Great Gate, is one of the most remarkable features of Assos.
Coin of Assos.
ASSUERUS
484
ASSURANCE
Leake (Travels in Asia Minor, p. 128) says : " The ruins of Assos at Iiihrem or Beridm Kalesi are extremely cu- rious. There is a theatre in very perfect preservation, and the remains of several temples lying in confused heaps upon the ground. An inscription upon an architrave belonging to one of these buildings shows that it was dedicated to Augustus ; but some figures in low relief on another architrave appear to be in a much more ancient style of art, and the}- are sculp- tured upon the hard granite of Mount Ida, which forms the materials of several of the buildings. On the western side of the city the remains of the walls and towers, with a gate, arc in complete preservation and without the walls is seen the cemetery, with nu merous sarcophagi still standing in their places, and an ancient causeway leading through them to the gate. Some of these sarcophagi are of gigantic di- mensions. The whole gives, perhaps, the most per- fect idea of a Greek city that anywhere exists." See also Fellows's Asia Minor, p. 46; Wetstein, ii, 592; comp. Quandt, De Asso (Regiom. 1710); Amnell, De 'Aaaifi (Upsal. 1758).
Assue'rus ('Aouqpoe v. r. 'Arrovijpoc), the Grre- cized form (Tobit xiv, 15) of the Persian royal title usually Anglicized Ahasuerus (q. v.).
Assumption of the Virgin, a festival insti- tuted in the Roman Church in commemoration of the death and pretended resurrection of the Virgin Mary, and her triumphant entry into heaven. The apocry- phal tradition upon which this festival is founded is as follows: " That the Blessed Virgin died at the age of seventy-two (one hundred and fifty-nine, according to Nicephorus), and that at her death all the apostles of our Lord, except St. Thomas, were miraculously pres- ent, having been conve3red in clouds from the various countries where they were preaching; that they buried her at Gethsemane; and that St. Thomas, upon his return from Ethiopia at the end of three da}rs, express- ed such a longing desire to see her face once again, that they opened her tomb, but found there nothing but the grave-clothes, although the grave had been fastened and watched, da3r and night, by some of the apostles and many other Christians." The Assump- tion of Mary was not always a point of faith in the Roman Church, but is now universally received. The da}' of celebration is Aug. 15. It is also celebrated in the Greek Church. See Butler, Lives of the Saints, vii, 367 ; Landon, Eccl. Diet., s. v.